I don't trust vaccination companies with some of the stories I've heard, they have too much control over what goes into those vials. I'd prefer to catch the flu every few years than get a drug company's needle in me every single year and sometimes twice a year. There's also way too much hype about the swine flu - its not as horrible as the regular flu and they never make a big deal about that.

Got your email HBL, and thank you. I will be busy digging up some things and getting some potted plants inside this weekend; starting to get chilly down here.

a young girl just recently lost her life. it was reported on the news. i believe she was in the 5th grade. the old and very young are more susceptible. best to keep your hand sanitizer handy if no access to a sink. scary stuff. anyway, digging up stuff. do you have much humidity where you are. usually it's far from a blessing however, it's been a buffer for our 50's temp. amazingly, my plants are still outside and thriving.

hollyberry, i just realized i missed an opportunity. what are canadian thanksgivings like. is there a traditional meal.

Indeed, sad about those whom any type of flu kills, but it irritates me when people get so distressed over this swine flu as it has killed less people in its time than the regular flu has in half the same amount of time.

~*~

Boy, was it humid today!!! I felt like I was in a sauna every moment I spent outside. It has been swinging back and forth from chilly to blazing hot here and I shall be bringing in as many plants as possible from nature. Banana plants were not naturally selected to thrive in Dallas's winters. :P

SP, would you like some succulents? I will be making as many cuttings for as many people as possible for I know not how they will do inside for me. Best to let others have a go as well. ;)

HBL, one year we had sweet-potato pie and I swear it was just as yummy, and possibly slightly more nutritious. Hope your pie was scrumptious all the same. :)

Thanksgiving isn't actually until Monday, but the feast has started early for me - like yesterday! I even made cinnamon rolls! Oh boy I am excited about turkey - yipppeeeeeeee!

Yeah Zac, this whole anti-bacterial this and anti-bacterial that, has got way out of hand. It is nearly ridiculous. How is the immune system supposed to get any practice? When I was a kid, they didn't have anti-bacterial anything, and we got through just fine. People are more sick than ever these days. I never get a flu shot, and I am rarely ever sick.

Anyhow, yes, it is Thanksgiving long weekend, starting tomorrow - I mean today...um...well you know what I mean! I am going to continue pigging out until I can't button up my pants anymore!

: O

I've been good all Summer, cycling like crazy. Now I just want to eat like a horse! I am picking hot peppers like crazy too, and giving them to tenants and also to my mom, and stuffing my freezer full of them!

Oh yes, I know what you mean about thanksgiving. It usually ends up being the whole week rather than a single day! :D

My friend had a run-in with some hot peppers he just couldn't stop talking about. Said they were regular 'ole chili peppers but they were so hot that his whole face burned and the next morning when he rubbed his eyes they began burning again! Ever heard of a chili pepper being that hot?

OMG, Zac, that is just hilarious about your friend. It was this part that threw me into hysterics...

they were so hot that his whole face burned and the next morning when he rubbed his eyes they began burning again!

Click to expand...

Oh no, here I go, laughing again! Hold on....

As if that weren't classic enough, then you came out with...

Ever heard of a chili pepper being that hot?

Click to expand...

Hahahahaha! That is one of the funniest things I've read in awhile. Thank you. Oh my Lord, that was so funny.

Ok, seriously though, the real reason that his eyes burned when he rubbed them is because he likely had capsaicum (chemical ingredient in peppers that produces the heat) on his fingers and hands from touching the peppers, and rubbed it back onto his eyes!

Also, his face burning could be that he was touching his face and the capsaicum also got on there too. Heat producing creams to help relieve sore muscles are all extracts from hot peppers, of the heat producing ingredient capsaicum. Neat, huh?

Some hot peppers are really hot and can make you sweat profusely, but I tend to think that your friend had the chemical on his hands and just kept transferring it to his face. It can't be washed off, it just dissipates over time. Tell him to wear gloves when handling the peppers next time.

It really was so funny the way you described it, and just the innocence of how you asked about it. I am still giggling.

Anyone can sell seeds on eBay, and the seeds could be 10 years old for all you know! I am not saying that all seeds from eBay are not viable, but some of them are not.

We are just talking about seeds, but the truth is there are many items on eBay that are sketchy.I just mean that if a seed variety was very important to me, and I really wanted to make sure I got some plants from the seeds, I would not purchase them from eBay.

I need seeds that are new and very fresh, because I depend on good germination rate, and reliable vigorous growth.

Did you know that old seeds, even if they germinate, can produce slower growing plants?!!! Sometimes it might not be that noticeable, but I can tell the difference, especially after doing some experimenting.

Anyway, no worries, if you enjoy eBay seeds, you don't need to explain it to me. I am not judging others. I am a firm believer in the saying, 'to each their own'.

hey what's all that chatter going on in here...LOL. just reading what i missed. :)
sorry about the grind about the anti-bacterial thing. my point was handwashing is key. so if inconvenient, it never hurts. the idea is to break the cycle. you'll be amazed at how many people don't wash their hands with any consistency. it was meant in good gesture. anyway, succulents sounds good. i'm not familiar though. i'm still at the tomato and pepper stage...LOL. thank you. you'll have to guide me on what i need to do.
hollyberry, i've never been to canada so excuse my silly question. your talk of pie has got me hungry though :) sounds good. i saw some figs the other day so decided to try them. black mission and brown turkey are commonly planted here. well lets just say, figs are an acquired taste. so what to do when in doubt...i made a fig preserves. :) believe it or not, they were actually tasted good. perhaps that was the piece of the puzzle i missed...LOL. by the way holly, send me that package. it only took me five years to realize that it can't hurt. i may have some more for you as well. sorry about the back and forth. :)
shearme, i agree with hollyberry, your friends story sounds hilarious...LOL tell him to add eyewear along with the gloves. it usually takes a couple of hours for the capsicum oils to wear off. applying yogurt preferably cold usually helps with the sting/burn. i somehow had juice from a pepper squirtted into my eye while in a hurry to deseed them...Yikes. it was mememorable. so yes eyewear wouldn't hurt. if that should happen just lean forward until the tears wash out the pepper. Do Not blot eye, it only makes it worse. another trial and error tip. :)

it's amazing my plants are still outside. i now have a new appreciation for humidity. go figure. by the way i found a closer hydroponics store nearby, which has got to beat shipping. so i'm suppose to meet with one of the saleman so he can walk me through. i believe the weather is forecast to hold next week. i was thinking of purchasing a dual bulb reflector however i'm being advised to get two systems. so i thought it best to go in for a visual / hands on interpretation. i can't decide between the hid/hps so i'm thinking why not get both in smaller wattage to total. does this make sense. man i'm hyper...LOL. hope i'm not driving you guys crazy with this stuff....

Succulents, SP are much easier to care for than peppers and tomatoes! Usually, they root in the mail even, and generally require very little water to remain alive while preferring direct hot sun for the most vibrant colors. All the varieties I shall send you can be grown in the simplest of pots - I use plastic cups and tin cans during the winter - and will flourish into large masses of plant material with little effort. I often find myself taking cuttings from cuttings of a cutting (if that makes sense). :)

thanks shearme, succulents it is. i figure if you're willing to try tomatoes i can at least try succulents. :) they sound like indoor plants during the winter. since they root easily, do they require deep pots or a defined space. i like the fact that they're drought tolerant. the drought was really bad last year.

hey hollyberry, funny thing about tradition, we all tend to promote and maintain. :)
i also eat pumpkin pie however i'm partial to coconut creme or key lime pie. Yummm.
i do however look forward to that fried turkey. don't eat much fried, but...